Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-02
Practical Plans.

We are sincerely DESTROYS of settling
with our creditors all questions which
have grown ont OF the public debt OF
Virginia. But experience has taught
us that the people must be a party to
any settlement which is to be success
full and final. In 1871 as again in 1879
the Legislature fathered bill which
had originated certainly not with the
people of Virginia, and the members
fattered themselves that they had eff
fected o settlement. But when the
people were heard from at the ballot
box il was ascertained that the reckon
ing had been done without the host
We do not desire that the present
Legislature shall travel the same "dull
round" We are ready and willing to
make almost any concession which
would be endorsed by the people at the
bsllot-box but we are not willing to
take any more such risks as we took in
1866, 1871, and 1879, when our law
makers consulted the wrong advisers.
Some Of our exchanges actually coun-
gel the Legislature to appoint persons
not residing in Virginia to agree upon
a plan OF settlement. Others of them
propose to appoint five or six OF the
vealthiest men in the Commonwealth.
chi bono? What is the use of wasting
time and talents in that way? What
would the Mahoneites say on the
stump? Where is the legislator who
would dare TO tell his constituents that
he considered all men incapable of set
fling the public debt except those who
were ready and willing to pay all of
it ?-men who pay their taxes ont of
their surplus and not out of their earn
ings?
1t is because we wish to be practical
and to secure settlement of the State
debt once for oil that we have spoken
so freely against the policy of selecting
as commissioners businessmen, or men
living without the Commonwealth, or
even men outside of the Legislature.
The businessmen to whom our
contemporaries allude are all of them
known to be i'm favor of settling the
debt upon any reasonably fair basis.
They would be willing to make so many
concessions that their plan of settle
ment would be rejected by the people.
1t is not necessary to consult those
men. They are known to be ready to
ratify almost any sort Of plan.
For these reasons, we used few days
ago the following illustration:
whenever we see a paragraph sug-
costing that businessmen ought to
have been selected for the debt COM
mission1 we are reminded of what
clergyman then living in this city said
some years ago of that part of the
burial-service of the Masonic fraternity
which commends the departed brother
sto the tribunal of the unbiased JUS
tee Il tell you, my brethren, said
the clergyman, that if we get impair
tisl Justice we shall all be condemned.
We cannot but fear that If the debt OF
Virginia were settled by businessmen
on business principles its total would
astonish the taxpayers.
If that illustration was calculated to
impress the true state of the case. upon
the reader, why not use it? Why
mince matters when we desire the
LEGISLATURE to make settlement which
the voters will ratify? Personally, we
would be willing to go long way IN
order to secure this desidcratitna. But
we cannot encourage tue bondholders
to hope for too much.
The Petersburg Lader-Appca1, nj
though debt-payer and ready and
willing TO make the Riddle coupons
receivable for taxes, repulsed our ad-
ysnces and commented upon the para
graph above quoted as follows;
"This is, indeed, candid confession,
and we hope it viii do our Riddleberger
contemporary soul good. The intelh-
gent reader will observe that the bond
holder, after all, is not such a grasping
and cruel shylock as he has been pic
tured."
Our Petersburg contemporary will
have to be candid also, if it intends
TO aid in the settlement of the State
debt. The present is a time to be
"candid." But if the Virginia com
missioners are to be attacked by the
debs-payers in case they make any con-
cessions, what good result can follow
their appointment It? Would our Pc
tersburg contemporary feel called upon
to reproach us for inconsistency if we
should express willingness to -?
But enough. Let us settle the debt,
and raise no side issues.